Little bit of prevention can keep you free from plantar fasciitis.

Wear supportive shoes that fit you properly.

Stretch your calves and feet before you exercise.

Do some gentle calf and Achilles stretches in morning.

The palpation of plantar fasciitis arouses feelings similar to the sensations when you know your boss is after you- yes you fear that pain. The draining and annoyingly persistent foot pain can happen to anyone. No wonder we secretly want our worst enemy to suffer plantar fasciitis.

We wonder if Benjamin Franklin knew how much his words will help us when he said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. With proper measures, plantar fasciitis can be prevented. And to prevent it, we must know what causes it.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

Some common causes of plantar fasciitis include:

Wearing inflexible or worn out shoes

Very low or high arches

Being overweight

Spending long hours on your feet

Tight calf muscles or tight/stiff ankle muscles

Walking barefoot in soft sand for long distances

Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis tends to strike those who overstrain, neglect to stretch their calf muscles, or overdo hill work and speed work. Certain things can help you prevent plantar fasciitis, especially if you have experienced it before.

Wear Well Fitted Shoes

Our feet are the most abused and neglected part of our body. For all the walking running, standing and carrying around our weight, we can at least favour our feet by providing them supporting shoes. Discard your worn off shoes, it’s time to get a new pair. Learn about your foot type, realise what size fits you the best and then buy a comfortable shoe.

Watch Your Weight

Be kind to your feet and reduce your weight. The poor guys take a lot of stress in carrying you around.

Warm Up Before Exercise

Tight arches contribute to heal pains because the Achilles tendon stretches all the way up into the calf. This explains the importance of stretches. Warming up before and cooling down after exercise provides the desired flexibility right down the plantar fascia.

Don’t be Over Athletic

Athletes suffer plantar fasciitis the most because their limbs and appendages meet huge demands. They get injuries, including ligament strains and Achilles tendon tears. It is fair enough to compete because you have the talent but be as careful as you can.

Be Wary of High and Low Arches

We know how high heels affect our feet causing terrible pain, but low arches contribute to it as well. The plantar fascia ligament is strained when a foot flattens too much; particularly at the point where it attaches into the heel bone. Plantar fascia can occur in mid arch as well.

Deal with Pain Immediately

Pain in your heels can go from being worse to be excruciating. So, dealing with the condition is immediately becomes essential. Don’t delay because the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to cure.

Take Care in Morning

Heel pain is more often experienced when you lift your first step in morning. Stretching your feet before getting out of the bed in morning can help. You can also opt to do some gentle calf and Achilles stretches soon after rising. This helps prevent plantar fasciitis in its initial stages.

Take Adequate Rest

Of course, walking from place A to B cannot be avoided but, when your feet is sensitive, avoid strenuous walking long distances or running.

Don’t be Fooled by Pain

When you have rested, your feet pain can deceive you into thinking that it has gone forever. But do not go plunging yourself into vigorous exercise yet. Start off slowly by doing some gentle walking or jogging, and increase the intensity or distance gently day by day or week by week.

Consult a Foot Care Specialist

Athletics, obesity and age are certain risk factors for plantar fasciitis. If you fall into any such groups, you are at an increased risk of experiencing it. It is a worthwhile option to check with your podiatrist for some preventive measures.

Usually, the pain will ease in time. 'Fascia' tissue, like 'ligament' tissue, heals quite slowly. It may take several months or more to go.

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Comments

Ranjana Shukla23 Nov 2013My mom experiences heel pain in summers but it goes away in winters. Is this also plantar fasciitis?